Italian luxury fashion house Valentino will make its debut in India, with the first store set to open this summer.
The haute couture house will launch a boutique store in India’s capital city New Delhi in the coming weeks.
A second flagship store will open in Mumbai before the end of the year.
Both stores will offer womenswear, menswear, accessories and footwear from one of Europe’s most recognisable fashion brands.
The news came after Maison Valentino signed a distribution agreement with Reliance Brands Limited, part of the retail division of Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries.
“Valentino needs no introduction in India,” said Darshan Mehta, managing director of Reliance Brands Limited.
“Founded by the legendary Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti, Valentino has gone through impactful creative evolution under the current creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli and chief executive Jacopo Venturini heralding the brand into contemporary luxury while leveraging its heritage as the most established Italian maison de couture.”
In Delhi, Maison Valentino will open at DLF Empori, India's first luxury shopping destination. The 162-square-metre unit will carry the brand's women's collection, alongside a curation of men's accessories.
The flagship store in Mumbai will have the whole Valentino range of womenswear, menswear, and Valentino Garavani accessories including shoes, bags, small leather goods, scarves, ties, eyewear and fragrances.
Both stores will provide customers with a bespoke client experience and champion the brand's trademark use of bold colour and romanticism.
“We are pleased to join forces with India’s leader in luxury retail, Reliance Brands Limited and proud to work together to expand our shared vision and voice in this important market, rife with new opportunities,” said Jacopo Venturini, chief executive Maison Valentino,
“The upcoming store opening represents a significant step in Valentino’s global strategy and we are honoured to be part of the country’s growing retail market, allowing the company and the Valentino Community to grow in a solid way, according to our values and brand culture.”
Valentino currently has 213 fashion boutiques in locations around the world, including its biggest store in Rome, located not far from where Valentino Garavani first started the maison in 1959.
Earlier this month, the label debuted the Valentino haute couture fall/winter 2022/23 collection on the 18th century Spanish Steps in Rome. The now-signature shade of Valentino hot pink was worn both by models and many of the celebrities in attendance, including Anne Hathaway and Florence Pugh.
